Wall construction



July 24, 1934. c. w. uTzMAN WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 5, 1952 PatentedJuly 24, 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT vvclerics 8 Claims.

This invention relates to building structures and more particularly tothe method and means for producing flat surfaces in such structures suchas walls and ceilings.

The so-called wall board of commerce, formed of paper, wood pulp orbrous material, as well as the gypsum board of commerce, comprising aplaster or gypsum core with a paper covering about the sides and edges,have long been employed in lieu of laths and plaster by nailing the samewith the adjacent edges abutting to the usual supports to form walls andsecuring in the same manner to form ceilings in dwellings and otherbuildings and when so applied, painted,

1 decorated or papered serve in the same manner as the lath and plasterwall and ceiling covering. Structures of this kind, which are used inlieu of laths, and then plastered over to complete the surface, areknown to the trade as plaster boards. It is an object of this inventionto provide a structure which may employ wall board, gypsum board orplaster' board, in which the outer surfaces may be uniform and permitthe abutting edges to be positively drawn to an even or flush 2' surfaceupon ilat surfaced supports to serve the lower and cheaper class ofconstruction or permit the abutting edges to be drawn downward into adepression provided on the support for the purpose of positioning theface side of the wall gypsum or plaster board at the edges thereof belowthe plane of the flat outer surfaces of the intermediate portions of therespective boards and then this depression filled with any of theplastic compositions commercially known as fillers, plaster or othermeans resulting in presenting a uniform surface in the same Vplanethroughout the wall or ceiling ready for decorating, painting,paperingor covering over, as the case may be, in the high and moreeiiicient class of construction, It is another object of this invention,by the means disclosed, to make the wall, gypsum or plaster boards,respectively, provide a higher class service than heretofore'and tovsavemuch time in the construction thereof compared with those higher classconstructions. f

It is an object of this invention to provide a speedily erected highclass construction which eliminates the need of large quantities ofwater being used therein, as in plaster surfaced methods,

" thus saving time and possible shrinkage difficulties in the drying outof the excess water at later times. v

An advantage of this invention is that by this means the need to makepanel effects in wall or 5.5 gypsum boarding to produce high class orSu- (Cl. 'I2-16) heretofore has been closed by objections to the 6visible joinings which are unsightly.

Another advantage of this invention is that by the novel method ofanchoring abutting edges of boards to the supports, a high degree ofalignment of surfaces is secured, safety of anchorage assured with thefurther feature of providing between thewall faces, when so desired, anentire separation of the space therein which may serve for the insertionof a continuous sound stop, another advantage of importance. In carryingout this invention the body of the adjacent meeting edges of each boardare firmly held against the support for a distance considerably greaterthan heretofore practiced in the art resulting in a reduction of soundtransmission of the main body of the board.

It is a further object of this invention in coordination with otherobjects before mentioned to provide companion partition surfaces erectedon timber or other supports with the surfaces of the partition formingwalls much thinner to consume less space than the present employingsimilar materials.

It is still another object of this invention, when it is desired toemploy insulation in wall construction to utilize the flexible orspringy char-f acter of the insulating material to produce a concealedjoint of the type hereinbefore described.

Such insulation is usually composed of bered wood, vegetable or animal.products properly treated and produced in sheets which are usually bothporous and resilient and act as sound, heat and cold retardants. Whenthe insulation is to be applied in contact with the inner side of thiswall covering, in accordance with this invention, it is preferable toobtain sheets of such insulation of the same width as the wall, gypsumor plaster boards employed and place these sheets between the supportsand the boards with the meeting edges of the sheets in staggeredrelation to the meeting edges of the boards and then secure the boardstothe supports in the manner hereinbefore described and the thinflat-headed nails will, by compressing the insulation immediatelythereunder, draw the meeting edges below the intermediate iiat surface.In such cases it may be preferable to interpose' a thin strip of metalbetween the yinsulation and meeting edges of the boards Ythrough whichthe nails pass before entering the support whereby the metal stripgrasps the nail and assists in maintaining the insulation compressed.

This invention contemplates the production of this board as well as themeans and method for erecting it to accomplish this result.

With these and other objects in view reference is made to theaccompanying sheet of drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments ofthis invention with the understanding that minor detail changes may bemade without departing from the scope thereof.

In the dravving:-

Figure 1 is a View in horizontal section taken through one form ofsupport illustrating the manner in which the meeting edges of the boardsare drawn below the plane of the'y board surfaces.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in front elevation, with parts removed ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of a corner of agypsum board showing one edge thereof..

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l illustrating a modinedconstruction.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail View in end elevation of the metallicmember support shown in Figure 4.

Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to Figure 4, of other modification.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of a drawing nail.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of Figure 8.

One preferred means for accomplishing the drawing in of the edge,portions 1 of the abutting boards 2 is to provide a support 3 having anangular depression along the center line thereof which presents flatsurfaces 4 in the same plane on each side of the angular surfaces 5applying the boards 2 with their abutting edges over the center line ofthe support 3 and thenA securing the same in place by driving a seriesof nails 6 with large flat, but very thin heads 7 through the respectiveboards, preferably at uniform distances along each edge in rows. Saidheads having a finely roughened surface 8 upon the upper side thereof.The driving of the nails adjacent the edges will draw the respectiveedges into contact with the support.

There is usually suiiicient flexibility and compressibility in the wall,gypsum and plaster boards of commerce to allow this to be accomplished.The thin flat heads 7 of the nails will firmly hold the boards in thevdrawn position without fracturing the outer surface of the board. Whilethe method above described will readily produce the desired result, itis preferable to rovide sorne means for insuring that the edges may beuniformly drawn by the nails below the surface plane by providing somemeans to positively allow of compression on the side engaged by thesupport, as by scoring that side of a wall board or imbedding in thecore adjacent the paper covering a longitudinal strand or series ofstrands of paper, fiber or other flexible material 9 or byformingtherein'a void in the gypsum or plaster board. This means isinvisible in the finished product and will permit the edge of the boardto be flexed uniformly and defined closely with the position of themeans employed to produce the spring line point as it is being securedto the support.

The supports 3 may be the customary wood construction, or in a iireproofconstruction, metal channels or the like, which are adapted tobepunctured, clipped or retained by nails or other means to serve nthesame'purpose If it is not desired to score the face of the woodensupports, the same result may be obtained by placing against the supporta metallic member 10 having 'a fiat surface 11 to engage the flatsurface of the support and present two angular surfaces 12 to theabutting edges of the adjacent boards. Such members may be transverselycorrugated or fluted in which alternate folds 13 rest against thesupport and the intermediate folds 14. form the angular surfaces engagedby the abutting edges, or a metallic plate 15 may be placed upon theflat surface of the support which metallic plate `is provided with aseries of punched out portions Y16 decreasing in height from the edgestoward the center having the ends of the outer portions punctured andformed with serrated edges 17 adapted to bite into and hold the boardfrom movement thereover, or this Y member may be formed of a at metallicstrip centrally bent to form corresponding angular surfaces 18 with eachside edge 19 bent back upon itself, so that the apex of the angularportions and the outer nat surfaces of this bent back portion will liein the same plane and will engage the flat surface of the support. Inthese forms the metal is of such character as to be readily punctured bythe. customary board nail and the Vdriving of the nails through theboard will cause the nails to pass through the member and into thesupports and inso doing insure the drawing of the abutting edges belowthe plane of the wall surface. The forms shown illustrate simplemechanical devices and may be varied to suit cost and service withoutdeparting from the scope of thisv invention.

While not necessary,.it is preferable to provide some means overlayingeach of the abutting gypsum boards which will not only form an addi--vtional securing means, but which will also form a reinforcement for thenller. When so desired, it is preferable to employ a plurality ofannular metal shapes 21 which may have prongs 22` struck out from thebody thereof which may be driven into the board adjacent each edge andwhich will lie below the plane of the surface of the main portions, toreinforce the filler. Other means of reinforcement may be provided tooverlay the abutting depressed edges of the board which may be of acontinuous type, woven or punched to suit the needs of the construction.

The wall board and gypsum board of commerce are cut in various standardlengths and may usually be bought of a suiiicient length for onemonolithic board to-extend from floor to ceiling of the usual building.However, in the construction of ceilings, it is very oftennecessary toplace the boards end to end in prolongation of each other. Thisinvention also contemplates that the furring may be constructed in thesame manner as the studding heretofore described, and transverse furringprovided under the transverse abutting board edges which are preferablyscored on the underside by sawing a kerf therein of suf; cient depth toallowV the transverse edges to be drawn vbelow the plane ofthe ceiling`surface and then filled, as before indicated.

What I claim is:

l. A wall construction comprising two or more wall boards ofsubstantially uniform thickness throughout disposed in va substantiallysingle plane and having adjacent edge portions drawn out of the plane oftheboards, and means nlling the space between said drawn portions, saidmeans'being flush with the exterior faces of the boards and a support to.which the boards are vsecured and over which the edgesare drawn.

' Mil 2. A wall construction comprising two or more wall boards ofsubstantially uniform thickness throughout disposed in a substantiallysingle plane and having adjacent edge portions fastened to supports andsaid edge portions drawn below the plane of the exterior surface of theboards, reinforcing means laid into the depression thus formed andattached to the edges of the board making the depression full, flush andeven with the exterior surface of the boards of said construction and asupport to which the boards are secured and over which the edges aredrawn.

3. In a wall construction, the combination of two or more plaster boardsof substantially uniform thickness throughout disposed in asubstantially single plane and having adjacent edge portions drawn outof the plane of the boards; a plastic material filling the space betweensaid edge portions, said material being flush with the inner faces ofthe boards, and a support to which the boards are secured and over whichthe edges are drawn.

4. In a wall construction, the combination of two or more plaster boardsof substantially uniform thickness throughout disposed in asubstantially single plane and having adjacent edge portions drawn outof the plane of the boards, a plastic material filling the space betweensaid edge portions, said material being flush with the inner faces ofthe boards, and a support to which the boards are secured, said supporthaving a channeled face receiving said edge portions.

5. In a wall construction, the combination of two or more plaster boardsof substantially uniform thickness throughout disposed in asubstantially single plane and having adjacent edge portions drawn outof the plane of the boards, a paper covering for each board, a strand offibrous material thicker than the paper of said covering embedded in theplaster of each board adjacent the face thereof and running parallel tothe adjacent edge approximately along the line where the drawn portionof the board joins the main portion thereof, a plastic material fillingthe space between said edge portions, said material being iiush with thefaces of the boards, a support having a channeled face for receivingsaid edge portions, and means securing the boards to the support, saidmeans drawing the edges of the boards into the channel of the support.

6. In a wall construction, the combination of a plurality o-f plasterwall boards of substantially uniform thickness throughout disposed in asubstantially single plane and having adjacent edges, with a supporttherefor embodying a member having a face to which said adjacent edgesare secured, said face having therein a shallow relatively wide V-shapechannel running longitudinally of the member, means for securing thesaid edges to said member, said means drawing the edges into saidchannel out of the plane of the boards, and means for lling the spacebetween said edge portions, said material being flush with the exteriorfaces of the boards.

'7. A wall construction comprising a plurality of wall boards ofsubstantially uniform thickness throughout disposed in a substantiallysingle plane and having adjacent edge portions drawn out of the plane ofthe boards, reinforcing means fastened to the drawn edges below saidplane, and means filling the space between said drawn portions andembedding said reinforcement therein, said means being flush with theexterior faces of the boards and a support to which the boards aresecured and over which the edges are drawn.

8. In a wall constructed of abutting wall boards the method of coveringthe abutting edges flush with the main surface comprising thelongitudinaily recessing of the supports therefor, forcing thelongitudinal margins of the said boards into said recesses bringingtheir abutting edges below the surface of the wall, lling thedepressions so formed with a plastic material, and smoothing the samewhile plastic flush with the wall surface.

CLARENCE W. UTZMAN.

